May 9, 2005 issue
Hesston ESL professor concludes long career
By Phil Richard Hesston CollegeHESSTON, Kan. — The end of spring semester will mark the close of 54 years in education for Hesston College professor Al Yoder. With his retirement, Yoder concludes 25 years at the college, where he taught courses in education and English as a second language.
As a Hesston student in 1947-48, Yoder said, “I got the bug for education, particularly from Melva Kauffman, who taught teacher education at the time.
“Even though I went on to be an administrator at a big school system in Denver and also developed curriculum and innovative teaching techniques at a university, I missed teaching. And, like a big magnet pulling me, I wanted to come to Hesston College to teach.”
Since 1990, Yoder has focused on teaching English as a second language to international students at Hesston.
“I love the cultural interaction with the students and the excitement with which they learn,” he said.
Yoder and his wife, Irene, are exploring several service possibilities for their next steps in life, such as teaching English overseas.
He also has had discussions with Schowalter Villa about starting an educational program for residents of the Hesston-based retirement community.
“I know I’ll want to keep active and busy,” he said.
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